Another climb up to about 9400 ft. and we top the last pass before we descend into the broad valley where Torrey is located. This was the first time in my life that I had the opportunity to ride through groves of aspens, rather than see them from a distance. Photos really cannot capture the beauty of the soft light and delicate hues.

One happy camper following my friend Doug.

At first, I was a bit disappointed that we couldn't book a room at the Chuckwagon. That's where all the "action" is with our BMW group. But this little motel in Torrey, "The Boulder View Inn," was a winner and I'll stay there any time I'm in the area. Talk about clean and well maintained! Charming family owns and runs the place. And, since I'm a more quiet than "party" kind of guy... this suited me perfectly! We had a nice contingent of about 7 bikers staying there.

We had planned to just lay low on Friday, rest up, get the lay of the land, attend the 5:30 reception at the Chuckwagon. I had hoped to meet ArizonaAl, and quess what? Ran into him in the general store and made my appointment to have my ear speakers made. Here we are at "the factory" in Al's room.

Here is our "ear candy" curing! I am one happy camper with the quality of the sound, and the quality of noise isolation. Wonederful! Thanks Al! He even made a custom molded plug that we adapted to my throat mic for my FRS radio. Sweet!

On Friday JoeG arrived. Cold, almost frozen, and pooped out, but otherwise in fine shape. He rode from SFO through all the weather that Doug and I just missed the day before. A little brew and scotch and he seemed to recover!

Here he is on Saturday morning as we head out for the Lake Powell loop ride. We had a group of six bikes with me (Couchrocket), JoeG, Doug (Hazmat), Carl Williams, Thor, and one really fast guy who was so fast I never even got his name! (Sorry . . . ) Anyway off we went to Lake Powell.

Glorious morning .... glorious roads.

Decisions, decisions . . . "If we go this way the ferry leaves on odd hours, and if we go that way, even hours, and .... and how much time do we have to 'make the ferry' going this way?" I think Joe ended up tossing a coin and we hauled butt south on the longer of the two options.... more on that later!

JoeG on the left, then the Couch, then Thor, then Carl, then the really fast guy on the right....

And here's one I took of Doug. It was a LONG way straight down.

Remember my "more later" on our chosen route to the lake? Well, here was a surprise. The road was torn up for about 6 miles. Marbles on hard-pan. Lovely. We scooted along as best we could with time ticking away toward our ferry's departure hour! Yikes...

Remember "The Fast Guy?" He stopped to do as nature intended, and . . . . we almost didn't....

If your GPS looks like this you'd better be . . .

... on a boat!

Doug had ridden his LT like he rides his KTM for the last half mile or so, and had "JUST" gotten to the ferry in time to stop it from leaving without us... whew!

Steaming across Lake Powell.

If we'd have missed the ferry it would have been a two hour wait... and we'd have been riding back to Torrey in the dark.

Once off the boat and headed back to Torrey, we knew how open the roads were, and how little traffic there was, and aw shucks, hauling butt across the desert is such fun.

If you look closely at Doug's tach and speedo, you'll see what I mean... he had "slowed down" to grab this photo! Hey, Jamie, maybe Doug should have a nickname below his handle... something like "The 100 MPH Photographer!"

We got back in time for a little parking lot recap, nap, sip, and then over to the RV park for the BBQ. Yum..... Thanks to all the folk who arranged this.

On return from the Lake Powell loop, Thor found the infamous shiny sliver "wear bars" on his Z6 tire.

On Sunday morning with Bob Palin's generosity and a cast of thousands led by Jamie, Thor had a servicable tire on his bike for the trip home.

Later Sunday a group of us headed back over the pass to Boulder so that we could ride the Burr Trail.

I'm glad I didn't miss this one. What an amazing place. The one lane road slowly descends into a narrow red-rock canyon.

I could almost sense the presence of indigenous people. Hauntingly beutiful.

Awesome is an overused word -- in general. Here, it fits.

JoeG soaking it all in.

One awestruck "Couchrocket."

Two of our party decided to make it a real loop ride and headed west from Boulder. Doug, JoeG, and I wandered back over the pass to Torrey.

After a wonderful dinner at the Diablo with Jamie and Les, Killer, Thor (thanks!!!!), Doug, JoeG, Whip and Louise, and some other of the gang who I didn't even get to meet -- we got a good night's sleep and headed out Monday morning for Colorado and the "Million Dollar Highway."